


Edward's Charm

by willowcrowned



Series: The Peaceable Kingdom [3]
Category: Twilight Series - All Media Types
Genre: Birthday Party, F/M, Healthy Polyamory, M/M, Melodramatic Teenagers, Teenagers Acting Like Teenagers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-13
Updated: 2020-03-13
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:00:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23125144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/willowcrowned/pseuds/willowcrowned
Summary: "Edward rises once Jake and Bella enter. His eyes are shining and his face breaks into a grin as he makes his way towards them. His hair, always a pretty auburn, has turned to a dark gold under the soft lighting and his pale skin, always a touch translucent, seems to be glowing with the warmth of the lights. Jacob is struck for what feels like the millionth time at how ridiculously, unfairly, attractive Edward is. "In which Jacob survives a birthday celebration thrown by the Cullens.
Relationships: Edward Cullen/Bella Swan, Jacob Black/Bella Swan, Jacob Black/Edward Cullen, Jacob Black/Edward Cullen/Bella Swan
Series: The Peaceable Kingdom [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1567810
Comments: 35
Kudos: 214





	Edward's Charm

**Author's Note:**

> In a stunning turn of events I have, for once, abandoned _Twilight_ porn without plot in favor of plot without porn.

Jake’s birthday has never been much of an affair. Even when his mom was still there, it was never anything more than a special dinner and some streamers. After she died, it quieted further; dinner would be no different than any other night aside from a few modest gifts. As he got older a few friends would come by after dinner and they’d pile into someone’s car and hang out by the bay with the heat cranked up. He likes it that way, quiet and restrained, with maybe a half-hearted attempt at a celebration. The Cullens, however, as Jake is quickly learning, don’t do things by halves. 

“Run away with me, Bella,” Jake begs. “I’ll shift and you can ride on my back. No one will find out that we’re gone until we’re in Canada. You can go to classes at a community college at night and we’ll open a small bookshop.” 

Bella sighs, resigned, and falls forward, forehead on the steering wheel. “Don’t tempt me with a small bookshop.” 

Jacob sticks out his bottom lip and pleads with his best puppy dog eyes. 

“You’ll survive this,” she says completely unconvincingly, not even looking up at him. 

Jacob looks pointedly at the Cullens’ house, awash with strings of fairy lights ever-so-carefully draped over edges of the roof and nearby trees. 

She follows his gaze and groans. “Let’s just get this over with.” 

Jacob takes one more breath of the air inside Bella’s car, his last breath as a free man, and gets out of the passenger’s seat. Bella is waiting for him the second his feet hit the ground, having made use of her newly acquired super speed, and she offers him her freezing hand. 

Jacob rolls his eyes at her showing off, but he takes her proffered hand anyways. 

Her mouth twists wryly. “Jealous?” She asks. 

“You wish,” Jake grumbles, but he tugs her closer to him and leans down to kiss her. Bella reaches up in turn, standing on her toes. Their lips brush together, just shy of an actual kiss, and the pair hold themselves there, savoring the long stretch of anticipation before the reward. In the midst of that, just as the moment has stretched as long as patience allows, the balcony door slams open unceremoniously, forcing the two apart. Bella and Jacob break apart at the loud bang, jumping back in surprise. Their eyes both dart to the source of the noise. They frown as they see who it is that’s interrupted them, though both of them feel the tension spread throughout their bodies dissipate. 

Jacob glares up at Alice. “Fucking vampires, I swear.” 

Alice smirks, “Describing your plans for later?” 

Jacob flushes. “I—” he says, but stops when he sees Alice’s knowing expression. 

Bella gives him a commiserating glance. There’s no winning against Alice. 

Still smirking at the reaction she’s managed to instill in Jake, Alice flits inside. A second later the front door is opening and Alice is pulling them in to the house. The two of them sigh miserably as they cross the threshold and Alice rolls her eyes at their theatrics. 

“It’s a party, not your funeral,” Alice says sternly, arms crossed. 

“The night is still young,” Emmet calls. Bella and Jacob look up to see him jumping down from the second floor. He grins and pulls Jake into a one-armed hug. “Happy birthday, man.” 

“Thanks,” Jake replies grudgingly. 

Alice nudges the little party towards the living room, which, like the outside of the house, has been strung with fairy lights. Seth is sprawled on a couch, absorbed in conversation with Esme while Edward looks on absentmindedly. Carlisle and Charlie are off to the side, engaged in Charlie’s trademark stilted small talk. To Jake’s surprise, Quil and Embry are there as well, with Rachel sitting next to them. He snorts when he spots Rosalie and Jasper in the corner looking like supermodels just arrested for doing coke in bathroom at the Met Gala. Jasper quirks an eyebrow at him by way of greeting; Rosalie just frowns at him. 

Edward rises once Jake and Bella enter. His eyes are shining and his face breaks into a grin as he makes his way towards them. His hair, always a pretty auburn, has turned to a dark red-gold under the soft lighting and his pale skin, always a touch translucent, seems to be glowing with the warmth of the lights. Jacob is struck for what feels like the millionth time at how ridiculously, unfairly, attractive Edward is. 

Edward says nothing, but embraces Jacob, holding on for just a second longer than a platonic hug dictates. His touch lingers on Jake’s hand even after he’s ended the hug, a cool caress that makes Jacob want to shiver. Eventually, Jacob clears his throat and Edward steps back, coming to his senses. Edward gives Bella a peck on the lips and throws Jacob one last look over his shoulder as the two of them leave him to greet his family. Jacob lightly brushes his fingers over where Edward had touched his hand. He blinks after a moment, realizing that he’s being ridiculous, and goes to say hi to his sister. 

Rachel gets up as he comes over and squeezes him tightly. She’s always been older-looking than him, but as his gaze drifts over her face he notices that the stress lines by the corner of her mouth have faded and her hair has significantly more luster. She looks young, Jacob is pleased to realize. Her job is treating her well. 

“You’re shorter than I remember,” Jake says, finally, smirking. 

She scrunches her nose up, glaring up at him like a particularly vicious hobbit. “I am not. You’re just freakishly tall.” 

He ruffles her hair playfully. “Keep telling yourself that.” 

Jacob’s smile fades as he looks around the room again, searching for a familiar figure in a wheelchair. Rachel shakes her head when he turns to her, questioning. 

“Sorry Jake,” she says, voice soft. “He didn’t come.” 

His shoulders tighten involuntarily. “I didn’t think he would.” 

Rachel squeezes his arm comfortingly, hearing the second, unspoken part of the sentence: ‘but I hoped.’ 

“He’ll come around, Jake,” she says softly, her dark eyes brimming with a warmth he remembers so well from his childhood. “He’s always been stubborn, but he can’t keep up the grudge forever.” 

Jake raised an eyebrow. They both know damn well that Billy Black can hold a grudge for decades. 

“At least not when it comes to you,” Rachel amends. “He loves you, Jake, and eventually he’ll learn to trust your judgement about this.” 

“Maybe,” Jake says, not meeting her eyes. “You’ve always been a lot more chill than he has.” 

Rachel shrugs. “You’re my little brother. If you can handle this supernatural nonsense, then I certainly can.” 

Jacob snorts. She’s not wrong. It took him months to adjust, it took her two panicked phone calls from him. But Rachel isn’t his father— his father hasn’t talked to him in months, not since he found out. 

Rachel smiles a small, sad, smile, easily divining the direction of her brother’s thoughts. “It’ll be alright, Jake. Trust me.” 

He smiles back at her with the same sad smile. “I hope so.” 

“Alright!” Alice calls over the soft chatter, shooting Jake a significant look. “Let’s get this party started.” 

Jake lets out a sigh of relief as Alice turns the music up and gives her a grateful nod. The vampires in the room quickly push the furniture to the edges of the room to create a clear space for people to dance. Jake pulls Rachel into the middle of the room as soon as there’s enough space, demanding at least one dance. She grins and acquiesces, and most other people follow their lead and pair off to dance. 

It’s a while later when Jake takes a break, handing Rachel off to Quil. He looks around with interest, noting Bella dancing with her father in one of the corners. Somehow, despite the catlike grace that immortality has granted her, she is off beat and completely uncoordinated. Charlie is doing no better, treading on Bella’s toes every other step with muttered apologies. Still, the two of them are smiling while fumbling their way through a basic box-step. On the other side of the room, Alice seems to be teaching Seth some obscure folk dance while Jasper helps correct Seth’s form. Surprisingly, Seth is managing to hit each beat in time, though his movements are clumsy compared to Alice’s. Jake lets out a low whistle of appreciation and waves when Seth nails a spin. Seth flashes a grin and bows in response before returning his attention to Alice and proceeding to try a lift. Jake watches the progression of the dance with fascination, still expecting someone to fall. He’s so rapt that he barely notices someone coming up beside him, and he jumps when a cold hand loosely grasps his wrist. 

‘Sorry’, Edward mouths, and motions towards the hallway nearest to them. Jacob nods and follows as Edward leads him out of the room, through the kitchen, and out through the covered patio until they’re standing under the stars. 

“Sorry for the silence,” Edward says, turning to face Jake. “This is about as near as we can be without someone eavesdropping, and I didn’t want someone following us.” 

Jake shrugs. It’s not like the cold bothers him, and the lack of cloud cover means that he can see the stars for once. 

Edward glances down for a second, only to realize that he’s still holding Jacob’s wrist. He jumps back at the realization, releasing Jake’s wrist with a sharp movement. 

“Is everything okay?” Jake asks. Edward is usually much less... jumpy. 

Edward clears his throat awkwardly. “Yeah. Yes.” 

Jacob blinks, unsure of what to say. 

“Well.” Edward shifts uncomfortably. “I, uh—” 

For the first time Jake notices a small package wrapped in white in Edward’s hand that he keeps turning over nervously. Edward follows Jake’s gaze down to it, grimaces and then looks back up at Jacob and frowns. 

“I had thought— I wasn’t exactly sure—” He exhales in frustration and holds out the package. “This is for you.” 

Jacob takes it quietly, confused. His thumbnail makes short work of the tape and he tips the package, letting whatever is inside slide out on to his hand. And oh—wow. It’s a thin chain with a simple clasp and pendant. It isn’t anything special, really—Jake has a few pieces like it, except, no he doesn’t, because the pendant is unlike anything he’s ever held. Lying in his hand is a sparkling teardrop. A sparkling diamond teardrop. 

Jacob stares down at the necklace in his hand. “Edward,” he says, looking up at the man in front of him. “It’s— wow. I mean, it’s incredible.” He pauses, a shadow of doubt passing over his face. “Are you sure you meant to give this to me?” 

“I—” Edward runs his fingers through his hair nervously. “I— yes, of course. That is, if you want it.” 

Jake looks at him with wonder. “Yeah. Yeah, I want it.” he pauses. “Can’t you hear it?” 

“Oh,” Edward exhales, the tension easing from his body. “No, actually. I’ve been trying to stop listening to your thoughts. I didn’t think you liked it.” 

Jacob smiles. “I don’t. Thanks for trying to stop.” His grin turns to a quizzical expression as he regards the gifts in his hand. “I just don’t— like— I don’t know why you’re giving it to me.” 

Edward runs his fingers through his hair again, refusing to meet Jacob’s gaze. “I thought—well—since I gave Bella that charm for her graduation—” He pauses again, takes a deep breath, and finally meets Jacob’s eyes. “I wanted you to have something of mine too—something precious, to remind you of me.” 

“Oh.” Understanding floods Jacob’s face, followed closely by a mild flush. “I— thank you.” He steps forward and places a hand on Edward’s cheek. “Me too,” Jake says, in response to the unasked question. 

“What?” Edward blinks. “I’m sorry, I don’t quite—” 

But Jacob cuts him off before he can finish, kissing him once, hard. 

“Oh,” Edward says, looking as stunned as Jake feels. “ _Oh.”_

A smile plays at the edge of Jacob’s lips. He wants to laugh and shout and kiss Edward all at once. “You didn’t seriously think I’d refuse it, did you?” 

Edward cocks his head, looking at Jake through half-lidded eyes. “You’re hard to read. You always have been. Even when I was using, you know.” He taps the side of his head. 

“Really?” Jake asks. “I always felt like you always knew exactly what I was thinking.” 

Edward’s lips twist wryly. “You were never difficult to read when it came to Bella, but otherwise...” He meets Jacob’s gaze, suddenly serious. “You have a natural talent for masking your true thoughts. It feels like you’re always running interference.” He pauses, an amused glint coming into his eyes. “It’s... rather gratifying, actually.” 

“Mmm,” Jake agrees. “Well I do love being difficult.” 

Edward snorts. “That you do.” 

A lull in the conversation follows as a cold gust of wind goes through. In the intervening silence, Edward scoops the necklace from the other man’s hand and fastens it around Jake’s neck. One of his hands falls back to his side, but the other stays, tentatively resting on Jake’s neck. When Jake doesn’t pull away, it settles more confidently. Jake stares into Edward’s golden eyes, pupils blown, and watches as Edward’s gaze flicks down to Jake’s lips, and then back up to his eyes. 

“May I?” Edward’s voice is rough. 

Jake nods. 

Edward’s lips, when they meet Jacob’s, are cold and smooth and tentative. They’ve kissed before, of course, but not like this. Never like this. Jacob wraps his arm around Edward, pulling him close and deepening the kiss. 

They stay like that for a while, kissing slowly and lazily, like they have all the time in the world (and they do, Jake realizes, a rush of joy flooding him. He really has all the time in the world.) When they finally pull apart, Jacob’s hand stays on Edward’s back and Edward’s hand stays on Jake’s neck. 

Edward clears his throat. “We should probably—” he motions towards the door. 

“Mm,” Jake agrees, not moving. Slowly, reluctantly, he removes his hand from Edward’s back. Edward gently tucks the pendant under the collar of Jake’s shirt and leaves his hand there for a second, fingers resting in the hollow of Jake’s throat. When he finally moves he seems loath to do so and so it is Jacob who leads them back inside. 

The living room seems unchanged from when they left, barring the deeply unimpressed Alice barring the doorway. 

“You better have a good explanation for making everyone wait for cake.” Alice’s arms are crossed and a scowl pulls at the edges of her mouth. She really hates when people mess with her parties. 

“Half of us don’t eat,” Edward protests, but Jake just pulls the pendant out from under the collar of his shirt with a smirk. 

“Hmph.” Alice grudgingly admits, “I suppose that’s a good enough excuse.” 

Everyone does get cake eventually (or half of everyone, at least), though not before Jake has to suffer through a long and irritatingly melodious rendition of happy birthday. As chatter takes over the room again, Jake slips out of the center of attention to settle down on the couch in between Edward and Bella. Bella leans on his shoulder and Edward reaches over Jake’s shoulders to pet her hair affectionately. Eventually, his hand just rests there, arm around Jake’s shoulders. Jake smiles, and nestles further into Edward’s side, pulling Bella with him. 

The room is warm and full of laughter, and the pendant’s weight is cool against his skin. Maybe he could get used to birthday parties, Jake thinks, if all of them end up like this. 

Edward chuckles, having heard the thought. “I could too,” he admits. 

“Whaaaa?”” Bella blinks in confusion, lifting her head up from where she was dozing, as close to sleeping as vampires can get. Her cheek is red from where it’s been pressed against Jakes shoulder and her hair is mussed. “What’sgoin on?” 

“Jake thinks that he can survive more parties,” Edward explains, “so long as they’re like this.” 

“Mmm,” Bella agrees snuggling back in to Jake’s shoulder. “This is surprisingly nice. It’s good we didn’t run away to Canada.” 

Behind him, Jake can sense Edward’s eyebrows drawing together in confusion. He bites his lip to hold back a smile. “Me too. Even if we have to sacrifice a small bookshop.” 

Edward sighs, having given up on understanding their antics. “Next time you decide to run away, bring me.” 

Jake smiles. “I wouldn’t think of leaving you behind.” 

“Oh, shut up,” Alice says from across the room as she glares deliberately at the trio, knowing all three of them can hear her. “You’re all melodramatic idiots and if you even think about running away from one of my parties I will track you down, drag you back here, and tie you up until you start having a good time.”

**Author's Note:**

> When I started writing this it was supposed to be a simple vignette, written so that I could get rid of an idea that was plaguing me. 36 hours and a few thousand words later... here we are.
> 
> For those of you unfamiliar with me and my work: I love your comments, questions, and constructive criticism. To those of you familiar with me and my work: I love your comments, questions, and constructive criticism. Basically, I love when you interact. Even just an "I liked it!" lets me know that I've done a good job. (It is also a significant factor in motivating me to write more, if that's the sort of thing you'd be interested in.)
> 
> Many thanks to my darling friend who beta read this on the spot and then bought me dinner. <3 You’re a gem.


End file.
